


come back to me

by avengersincamphalfbloodstardis



Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: 1872 (Marvel), Alternate Universe - Western, Fix-It, Fluff, Happy Ending, Holiday Fic Exchange, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Angst, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, Steve Tony Secret Santa 2019, SteveTony Xmas, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21929962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avengersincamphalfbloodstardis/pseuds/avengersincamphalfbloodstardis
Summary: When Tony told Steve to come back, he wasn’t just asking for his return to Timely.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 68





	come back to me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LeHasard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeHasard/gifts).



> This is my gift for [kdotwoody](https://twitter.com/kdotwoody/) for [Steve Tony Secret Santa](https://stevetonysecretsanta.tumblr.com//)! I’ve never written 1872 Stony before so it was such a fun experience working on this piece. I hope you enjoy!

“You get back here to Timely, Sheriff,” Tony had said, the corner of his lips quirking quickly to try to take the sting of the unknown out of his words. “No matter what, alright?”

His lips had asked for Steve to return to Timely, to all of them, but his eyes said  _ come back to me _ .

Being Sheriff meant that he was bound to the duty to go after the man that had terrorized his town. Being Steve Rogers meant he was bound to find where he’d left his heart; it appeared he’d be leaving it with the town inventor. 

“I’ll come back,” he assured him, the words  _ to you _ going unsaid.

The newly appointed Deputy Red Wolf and Sheriff Rogers rode off over the horizon as citizens of Timely watched, Tony and Natasha standing together. 

“He’ll be back,” Tony said, voice wobbling even as he tried to sound sure. “He will.”

Natasha narrowed her eyes, lips twisting to the side. “That’s what I said about my husband.”

***

The young Parker boy came tumbling over the hill, running as fast as his legs could take him, somehow so much faster than he’d been just a month ago, right after Doctor Banner disappeared.

“Red Wolf!” he cried, tripping over his own feet. “He’s back! I can see him just beyond the outpost!”

Tony, rocking on the porch of the saloon, hat low over his face to hide that he was actually on edge, sat up, pushing the hat back. Natasha poked her head out of the window.

“Did he—” she began, cut off when Tony lurched to his feet.

“Peter!” Tony called, tumbling down the steps of the saloon, Natasha hot on his heels. “Is he alone?”

Peter kept running, dirt flying about him as his shoes kicked at the dust. “Just one horse Mr. Stark! But there’s a body on the back, wrapped in a sheet!”

Heels digging into the dirt, Tony halted at once, breath and heart stopping as he did.

“No,” he spat, but it fell flat to the dirt instead of travelling through the air to the boy’s ears like he intended.

Natasha’s hand came to his back, keeping him upright.

Peter ran to the giant bell, tugging at the rope to make the clang sound out, his voice announcing his news as loud as it could.

Townspeople slowly spilled from their homes, the businesses, filling the street with spectators. Peter’s voice was the loudest at first before it was consumed by the others, eating his words up and passing them along to the next person to arrive. 

Then, the soft dirt beyond the hill rumbled with the pounding of hooves, weighed down by two bodies, one alive, one dead.

The horse’s snout broke the horizon, it’s rider looking grim. Red Wolf urged the horse forward, the white sheet that wrapped around the body across the horse’s back picking up the dust from under its hooves.

Tony’s knees began to tremble.

Red Wolf stopped the horse short of the crowd, surveying it with a stone gaze, mouth set in determination.

“Mayor Fisk,” he called to the townspeople, deep voice commanding their attention. “Is dead.”

Celebratory cries broke free of every mouth in the crowd, save Tony’s.

Yes, the corrupt politician that had terrorized Timely was gone, but had he taken Tony’s beloved with him? Had he stolen what Tony hadn’t yet been brave enough to claim?

The townspeople continued to celebrate as Tony’s breath came infrequently, some citizens helping Red Wolf take the body from his horse to dispose of. For all of the jubilee surrounding him, he could not hear any of it properly, it echoed hollowly about him, only the edges of the spectrum thudding against his cottoned eardrums.

And then, beneath his feet, he felt the ground rumble again.

He looked up.

Another horse pierced the heavens atop the hill, it’s rider bent forward as if he felt he could get to his destination that much faster if he just urged it slightly more.

Tony’s heart began to beat in time with the horse’s thunderous steps, wildly with no coherent rhythm.

With a deft tug of the reigns, the rider pulled the horse short of the crowd, dust skidding into a cloud as hooves dug into the earth.

Steve Rogers dropped from the saddle and broke the crowd in half with a decisive, long-legged strive, his blue eyes stormed over with an intent gray.

Before Tony could say one word to the sheriff, Steve caught him up with a strong-armed embrace, kissing him in front of all of Timely.

If there was any surprise from the onlookers, Tony didn’t register it, all he knew was  _ Steve _ , and  _ warm _ , and  _ love _ . Then, even lost in the feel of Steve’s soft lips against his, he could hear the renewed exultance in the crowd, another round of cheers erupting.

The festivity continued around them as their kiss gently broke apart, Steve’s broad arms still wrapped around Tony, Tony’s hands against his chest as he gazed up into Steve’s eyes.

“You came back,” Tony said in a daze, fingers pressing into the spot just above Steve’s heart, making sure he could still feel the beat of it, reassuring him that the man in front of him was real.

“You asked me to,” Steve said simply, then kissed him once again.

***

Sunlight undulated over the quilt that laid over their waists, Tony’s cheek resting on Steve’s chest. Steve’s fingers carded through Tony’s dark hair, his breaths even and content.

“How long,” Tony asked, voice throaty from just waking up, though it neared noon. “Have you wanted this?”

Steve hummed, the pads of his fingers caressing small circles into the nape of Tony’s neck. “So long that I shouldn’t have done something about it for the first time yesterday.”

A low chuckle hummed from Tony’s throat, rumbling against Steve’s chest. “It’s not as if I was able to do something about it either.”

Steve lowered his gaze from the ceiling to the man in his arms. “You asked me to come back to you. That’s something.”

Tony looked up and met his eyes. “I asked you to come back to Timely.”

The corner of Steve’s mouth tugged up. “I knew what you meant.”

Tony’s answering smile was brighter than the sun that shone upon them. “And I knew you’d come back to me.”


End file.
